Officials are set to decide if two historic trees will be bulldozed for the construction of a new recreation center in The Villages.
The Lady Lake Commission will meet at 6 p.m. Monday to consider the fate of two trees which are to be removed for a $20 million replacement facility for the current Paradise Recreation Center on the Historic Side of The Villages.
Residents pleaded for the two trees to be spared during a May 13 hearing before the Lady Lake Planning & Zoning Board.
The trees in question are a 36-inch Live Oak tree and a 52-inch Laurel Oak tree. The plans calls for the removal of other trees, but The Villages must obtain a variance from the Town of Lady Lake to cut down the Live Oak and the Laurel Oak.
The Villages District Manager Kenny Blocker contends the removal of the historic trees “is necessary because the trees are located within areas that will cause building foundation and structural column issues during the construction process, potentially hindering the longevity of the structural integrity of the new building.” One of the trees is located near the site of the new recreation center. The other is located where the new swimming pool will be built.
James Wronka, a resident of the Historic Side of The Villages, spoke out in favor of the trees before the planning and zoning board. He said the irony is that one of the trees will be cut down for the construction of a new pool that residents have repeatedly said they don’t want.
“People love the pool we’ve got at Paradise. They don’t want a new pool,” he said.
Mayor Ed Freeman also attended the planning and zoning board meeting and questioned the removal of the trees.
“If they had used a little imagination, they could have saved all of these trees,” the mayor said.
Do you think the trees should be spared? Share your thoughts at letters@villages-news.com.
